Acrylic on Canvas Painting “Koshare Shield”

Doug Coffin lives and works in Santa Fe. He is best known for monumental, brightly painted steel and mixed media sculptures. He has developed a style that suggests a fusion of the ancient totemic form used by many Native cultures with the abstraction and geometric forms of the modernist. His roots are Potawatomi/Creek.

Coffin has been associated with the Santa Fe Indian art market since the 1970s. His use of bright colors and familiar icons of Indianess are directly a result of his Santa Fe experiences. He comes from a very well-known and well-respected family in Lawrence, Kansas. His father was athletic director at Haskell Indian College for many years. In fact, the newly built athletic center is named after him. As a tribute to his father, Coffin constructed a totem which was placed in front of the center.

His abstract totem poles blend the rich imagery of his Native American heritage in an undeniably contemporary style. Coffin says, "I have always been fascinated with the medicine and war shields that were often painted from visions. The heart of my work continues to reflect their spiritual significance." His work has been exhibited widely throughout the world, including the Grand Palais in Paris and the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

Coffin holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Kansas and a Master of Fine Arts degree from Cranbrook Academy of Art.

He has taught art at numerous colleges and universities, including the College of Santa Fe, Fort Wright College and the Institute of American Indian Arts. - Artist website

This painting “Koshare Shield” refers to the black and white pueblo clowns known as Koshare. They are known to be bothersome to tourists and Natives who are in attendance at dance ceremonies at Hopi particularly. Presumably, this shield will protect one against the Koshare. It is an acrylic on canvas and was completed in 1992.